LaPorte County Chambers look west for RDA

Commissioners prefer linking up with St. Joseph County.

Commissioners prefer linking up with St. Joseph County.

February 15, 2006|STAN MADDUX Tribune Correspondent

LAPORTE -- Business leaders in LaPorte County feel the odds of luring 15,000 jobs are much better if they're more closely aligned with Lake and Porter counties. The decision goes against a preference expressed recently by some elected officials that LaPorte and St. Joseph counties team up. Tuesday, the Chambers of Commerce from LaPorte and Michigan City, along with the economic development corporations in both communities announced support for joining the existing regional development authority with Lake and Porter counties. A major factor in the decision is the many economic ties already between the three counties, such as the Northwest Indiana Regional Plan Commission, Northwest Indiana Forum and Quality of Life Council. NIRPC, for example, is responsible for transportation, environmental and economic development planning for the three counties. LaPorte, Porter and Lake counties also are joined together in Region 1 of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. In addition, there are several economic development projects on the drawing board linking the three counties, such as the proposed Illiana Expressway running through southern Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. "The economic development organizations and underpinning support systems that we belong to right now on a regional basis are affiliated with the northwestern region," said John Regetz, executive director of the Michigan City Economic Development Corp. On Feb. 7, the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners came out in support of creating an RDA with St. Joseph County. Board President Marlow Harmon said a LaPorte-St. Joseph RDA would fund transportation upgrades in both counties with $100 million over 10 years from $3.8 billion in proceeds from a lease of the Indiana Toll Road. He also said there would be no $3.5 million annual fee as required by the RDA in Lake and Porter counties. However, Michigan City Mayor Chuck Oberlie said RDAs along the entire stretch of the Toll Road would share proceeds from a lease. And, there could be a push downstate for all counties belonging to an RDA to pay annual fees, Oberlie said. Supporters of joining Lake and Porter counties also point out growth is coming from the west. Most influential, perhaps, is talk of building an intermodal facility serving the area's rail and trucking industries coming out of Chicago. According to local officials, LaPorte County, with land in Kingsbury and Union Mills near major roads and rail lines, ranks high on the list of prospective sites. "It makes logical sense to affiliate ourselves with a group that understands that intermodal facility market," Regetz said. According to business leaders, it'll be up to the state Legislature to decide first if LaPorte County can join an RDA, then choose which one. LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris said Tuesday's recommendation was based on studies demonstrating which RDA would provide the most benefit. "I would hope that if the county commissioners disagree with the logic of the recommendations, they would do a similar analysis," Morris said.